Entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico has become increasingly hazardous for migrants due to scammers flooding social media with misinformation and false hope, according to a study by a technology industry watchdog group. The Tech Transparency Project interviewed 200 U.S.-bound…
Rural church offers community development grants through Gratitude Project
Pastor Dennis Atwood concluded a sermon series focused on gratitude last fall by challenging his congregation at First Baptist Church of Mount Olive to seek systemic solutions to systemic poverty and food insecurity in their rural corner of eastern North…
Online religion content isn’t luring Millennials away from in-person church
Faith leaders needn’t worry too much that the growing availability of online religious content and activities will lure Millennials away from houses of worship, a recent study suggests. On the contrary, faith content and activities available virtually are in some…
Cuban government clamps down more on religion
The Cuban government, long hostile to all forms of religious expression, is tightening down further on communities of faith in response to ongoing economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a religious freedom expert reported. “They must be overwhelmed by…
Faith leaders urge Congress to fund help for families torn apart by Trump’s ‘cruel’ family separation policy
More than 400 religious leaders and faith groups signed an Aug. 1 letter urging Congress to provide funding for social and legal services for immigrants victimized by the Trump administration’s infamous family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. Organizations including…
It’s possible some senior adults in your church need help with medical costs or food but won’t say anything
The stress aging Americans are experiencing due to constantly rising health care costs is accelerating at an alarming pace, new polling shows. “More than a third of adults 65 and older (37%) are concerned they will not be able to…
War in Ukraine transforms churches into centers of care
More than 150 days of war in Ukraine have transformed Baptist congregations into much more than houses of worship. “Baptists have become centers for food, shelter, electricity and water. Equally importantly, Baptist churches are centers of respite and psycho-social care,…
Want to lower grocery prices? Urge Senate to pass Farm Workforce Modernization Act, panelists say
Those who think immigrants are stealing American jobs not only are wrong but are imperiling the American economy with their unsubstantiated views, a panel of agricultural leaders said July 27. “Each year, we see the end of generational farms because…
Federal program could provide relief to COVID-ravaged churches
Many U.S. churches jumped at the chance to utilize the Payroll Protection Program, or PPP, to cover payroll costs and benefits during the darkest stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic. But fewer congregations and other nonprofit organizations have been as quick…